BLOG 3 - Fabrics to Yarn

 In week three we went through the different variations of the fabrics and yarns. Additionally, studying the differences in textile yarns and the structure of the yarn. Reviewing the different yarn types and knowing how the yarn is structured and built is important for designers to understand fabrics. 

Beginning with textile fibers, we studied the difference between natural fibers and manufactured fibers. Natural fibers are all fibers that are plant, animal, or mineral-based. These include fibers such as cotton that comes from a seed fiber obtained from the boll of the cotton plant. Flax is another natural fiber that is obtained from the stem of the flax plant. It is important to note natural cellulosic fibers. All plant fibers contain cellulose which is basically carbohydrates found in plants by the seed, stem, or leaf. It is important for designers to know whether a fiber is a natural cellulosic fiber due to the characteristics of being highly absorbent, low flame resistant, high moth resistance, low mildew resistance, and strong when wet. The opposite of natural fibers is manufactured fibers which are made by using raw materials derived from natural products, minerals, synthetic chemicals, or a combination of all these materials. The sequence of all of this is different than natural fibers as well. First, obtain fiber-forming substances, then force the solution through an opening in the spinneret, then solidify the fiber, and lastly stretch the fiber to give it its strength. 

Textile yarns and yarn-like structures are another key thing focused on this week. Yarn is "a generic term for a continuous strand of textile fibers, filaments, or materials in a form suitable for knitting, weaving, or otherwise intertwining to form a textile fabric." Diving deeper, different types of yarns are used for specific end uses. To start, spun yarn is produced by twisting together staple/ short fibers while filament yarns are produced by continuous fibers. The next opposites are multifilament and monofilament yarns. Multifilament yarns come from being made of many filament fibers while monofilament yarns are produced from single filament fibers. 

ONE STEP FURTHER

It is important to know the creation process of loom and weaving. Once the yarn is chosen, it is wrapped around a special spool. These spools are put onto a weaving machine called a loom. The loom has different parts like a frame and beams to hold the threads. The wrap beam holds the threads that go up and down, while the cloth beam collects the fabric as it is made. 

To start weaving, the long threads are put through special parts of the loom. These parts can be moved up and down to make space for the other thread to go through. The other thread goes across and is pushed through the space using a tool. When making fabric, the weft yarn goes in and out of the wrap threads, like a puzzle, to make the fabric more durable. The weaver does this over and over again, moving things and making everything tight. After the fabric is made to the right size, it is taken off the loom, and any loose parts are fixed during this stage. The fabric is cleaned, colored, and smoothed as well. 

EXTRA SOURCES

Weaving Loom Process- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYGXRYmATks

Classifying Fabrics- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNC1fK6GjF4&t=4s